Mealybug
Mealybug common name for certain homopteran insects of the family Pseudococidae. Many are common pests on trees, ornamental and greenhouse plants. They are so named because of the mealy or waxy secretions that cover their bodies. Adult females are wingless, with oval segmented bodies and well-developed legs; 1-5 mm in length. The mealybug family is characterized by having an anal ring with four or more setae, nine-segmented antennae, dorsal ostioles, and ventral circuli. It is the ovoid, sluggish, mature female that generally observed.
Table Common mealybug and their hosts recorded.
| Mealybug species | Common host plants |
| Antonina graminis | Saccharum officinarum |
| Antonina zonata | Bambusa arundinacea |
| Birendracoccus saccharifolii | Saccharum officinarum |
| Brevennia rehi | Oryza sativa, Saccharum officinarum |
| Coccidohystrix insolita | Solanum melongena |
| Dysmicoccus brevipes | Annas sativus, Cardanthera uliginosa, Glycine max, Psidium guajava, Saccharum officinarum |
| Ferrisia virgata | Aegle marmelos, Camellia sinensis, Capsicum annum, Citrus aurantifolia, Coffea arabica, Corchorus olitorius, Gossypium harbaceum, Lycopersicon lycopersicum, Psidium guajava |
| Kiritshenkella sacchari | Saccharum officinarum |
| Maconellicoccus hirsutus | Gossypium harbaceum |
| Nipaecoccus viridis | Artocarpus heterophyllus, citrus aurantifolia, glycine max, Gossypium harbaceum, Hibiscus spp. Solanum tuberosum |
| Palmicultor palmarum | Borassus flabellifer, Cocos nucifera |
| Planococcus citri | Citrus aurantifolia, Manilkara zapota, psidium guajava |
| Planococcus lilacinus | Parkia roxburghii |
| Planococuss pacificus | Psidium guajava |
| Pseudococcus filamentosus | Glycine max |
| Rastrococcus iccryoides | Mangifera indica |
| Rastrococcus mangiferae | Mangifera indica |
| Rastrococcus spinosus | Citrus aurantifolia, Mangifera indica, Psidium guajava |
| Saccharicoccus sacchari | Saccharum officinarum |
Males are gnat like, with a single pair of wings and are able to fly in search of females. Their mouthparts are atrophied and do not feed. Female mealybugs have long sucking mouthparts adapted for feeding on plant juices. There are about 400 species of mealybug in the world. [Bidhan Chandra Das]
